Larry Fitzgerald is set to begin his third season since the retirement of former Arizona Cardinals quarterback Kurt Warner.
That Fitzgerald has remained one of the game's elite playmakers without his famed teammate is something to be proud of. Despite constant double teams and suspect post-Warner QB play, Fitzgerald has averaged 85 receptions for 1,274 yards and seven touchdowns in the past two seasons.
But the question lingers: How many Super Bowl rings would Fitzgerald have right now if Warner decided to continue his playing career into his late-30s?
"I try not to let my mind go there," Fitzgerald told Jim Corbett of USA Today. "It's like laying in bed with your wife, thinking about an old girlfriend. It's not fair."
It's a great analogy by Fitzgerald, who turns 29 at the end of the month. If his body cooperates, he should have several elite seasons left in him. But Fitzgerald is at the apex of his powers now. It'd be a shame for the future Hall of Famer to waste his greatest years on a team that can't find a quarterback who can maximize his talents.
"I'm not getting any younger. I feel like I'm still playing at a high level. I'm in my prime now," he said. "I want to be able to raise that bar, raise my level of play, and for me to do that, I have to win a Super Bowl now."
Having a once-in-a-generation talent like Fitzgerald makes the apparent misfire on Kevin Kolb all the more painful for Cardinals management.
Follow Dan Hanzus on Twitter @danhanzus.
